Taipei Times
Date: Jun 25, 2017
By: Staff writer, with CNA

The government is to require schoolchildren in areas where Hakka is widely spoken to learn the language as part of efforts to help the ethnic group preserve its mother tongue, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday.

The launch of a Hakka radio station on Friday represented a step forward in the promotion and passing down of the Hakka language and culture, Tsai said on Facebook.

The government is now pushing an amendment to the Hakka Basic Act (客家基本法) to list Hakka as a national language, Tsai said.

It would represent an official “upgrade” from its designation as a folk language — the same privilege given to more than 50 languages spoken in Taiwan, she said.    [FULL  STORY]